Scott Bass

There are two surf "zones" in this world: "surf spots,"and the lesser categorized "breaks." A surf spot comes with cultural trappings—history and legend—which transcend national borders and linguistic barriers. It is also, 99.9 percent of the time, a really good wave. A break is a beach or a reef or a physical outcropping of geography, man-made or not, where waves break and surfers ride, but without any cultural significance, without any distinguishing facet or global renown. A break is simply a place where swell meets shoreline and waves topple over. A surf spot, however, is a much grander entity.